Petition Started To Remove Florida Billboard On Islam

By: Katrina Manning | April 13, 2016

A billboard was put up in St. Augustine Beach, Florida with the words "Islam Bloody Islam." There is now an online petition set up to remove the billboard that has received international attention. Over 1,500 people from across the United States and other countries have signed the petition to have the billboard removed.

Becky Williams, who started the petition, said "We should always stand up for those in our community who are shown hatred and intolerance. We should be outraged that a billboard with this message could in any way represent our community as a whole. It is of the utmost importance that we stand against messages and movements that isolate, judge and threaten an entire sect of people who share our same hometown."

People from India, France, Nigeria and the United Kingdom have signed the petition. One signer wrote, "The fact that it is permitted to put up discriminatory billboards condemning any one religion is shameful. No resident of St. Augustine should have to have hate shoved down their throat on their daily commute."

The billboard owner declined an interview, but said the person who paid to have it displayed was an individual not an organization or faith community.